Providing a tele-immersive experience using a mirror metaphor

ABSTRACT

A tele-immersive environment is described that provides interaction among participants of a tele-immersive session. The environment includes two or more set-ups, each associated with a participant. Each set-up, in turn, includes mirror functionality for presenting a three-dimensional virtual space for viewing by a local participant. The virtual space shows at least some of the participants as if the participants were physically present at a same location and looking into a mirror. The mirror functionality can be implemented as a combination of a semi-transparent mirror and a display device, or just a display device acting alone. According to another feature, the environment may present a virtual object in a manner that allows any of the participants of the tele-immersive session to interact with the virtual object.

BACKGROUND

A tele-immersive collaboration system enables real-time interactionamong two or more participants who are geographically separated fromeach other. This kind of system differs from a conventional videoconferencing system by giving each participant the impression that he orshe is working in the same physical space as the other remoteparticipants.

One tele-immersive collaboration system provides a shared-spaceexperience using a window metaphor. That is, this type of system gives afirst participant the impression that he or she is looking through atransparent window at a second participant, who is located on theopposite side of the window. But this type of collaboration system mayhave one or more drawbacks. First, this system is not well suited formore than two participants because the window metaphor presupposes onlytwo positions, corresponding to the front and back of a window pane.Second, this system does not readily accommodate a shared workspace inwhich participants can manipulate virtual objects, that is, withoutdeviating from the principles of the window metaphor to some extent.Third, this system does not provide a suitable mechanism by which eachlocal participant can monitor the manner in which he or she appears tothe remote participants. Some video conferencing systems achieve thisresult by including a small picture in the peripheral region of adisplay that shows the image of the local participant that is presentedto other participants; but this kind of picture may be regarded asdistracting and unnatural by the local participant.

The above-noted potential drawbacks are cited by way of example, notlimitation.

SUMMARY

A tele-immersive environment is described herein that includes two ormore set-ups. A local participant corresponds to a participant who isphysically present at a particular local set-up; a remote participantcorresponds to a participant who is physically present at a set-up thatis remote with respect to the local set-up. Each set-up, in turn,includes mirror functionality for producing a three-dimensional virtualspace for viewing by a local participant. That virtual space shows atleast some of the participants as if the participants were physicallypresent at a same location and looking into a mirror.

In one illustrative implementation, the mirror functionality provided byeach set-up includes a physical semi-transparent mirror placed in frontof a display device. The semi-transparent mirror presents a virtualimage of the local participant, while the display device presents avirtual image of the remote participant(s).

In another illustrative implementation, the mirror functionalityincludes a display device that simulates a physical mirror. That is, thedisplay device in this embodiment presents a virtual image of both thelocal participant and the remote participant(s), without the use of aphysical semi-transparent mirror.

According to another illustrative aspect, each set-up includesfunctionality for constructing a depth image of its local participant.

According to another illustrative aspect, each set-up includes aphysical workspace in which the local participant may place a physicalobject. The set-up produces a virtual object which is the counterpart ofthe physical object. In one implementation, the physical workspaceincludes a workspace table on which the local participant may placephysical objects.

According to another illustrative aspect, the mirror functionality ateach set-up provides functionality that allows participants to jointlymanipulate a virtual object. The virtual object may or may not have acounterpart physical object in the workspace of one of the set-ups.

According to another illustrative aspect, the virtual space produced bythe environment includes a virtual-reflected space and a virtual-actualspace. The virtual-reflected space includes one or morevirtual-reflected objects that are projected from a perspective ofreflections on a mirror surface. The virtual-actual space includes oneor more virtual-actual objects that are projected from a perspective ofentities that are placed before the mirror surface.

The above approach can be manifested in various types of systems,components, methods, computer readable storage media, data structures,articles of manufacture, and so on.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form; these concepts are further described below in theDetailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify keyfeatures or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is itintended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an overview of a tele-immersive environment that uses amirror metaphor.

FIG. 2 depicts a tele-immersive experience that is provided to twoparticipants using the kind of environment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a first implementation of an environment that may producethe experience illustrated in FIG. 2. This implementation providesmirror functionality that uses a physical semi-transparent mirror inconjunction with a display device, which is placed behind the mirror.

FIG. 4 shows a second implementation of an environment that can producethe experience illustrated in FIG. 2. This implementation providesmirror functionality that uses a display device alone, e.g., without aphysical semi-transparent mirror.

FIG. 5 shows one implementation of a local processing system that can beused to provide three-dimensional (3D) scene information. The mirrorfunctionality of FIG. 3 or 4 display the 3D scene information.

FIG. 6 shows mirror functionality that uses a display device having acurved display surface.

FIG. 7 shows mirror functionality that uses a portable display device.

FIG. 8 shows a tele-immersive experience that involves presenting avirtual space that is composed of a virtual-reflected space and avirtual-actual space.

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative procedure that explains one manner ofoperation of a local processing system.

FIG. 10 shows illustrative computing functionality that can be used toimplement any aspect of the features shown in the foregoing drawings.

The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures toreference like components and features. Series 100 numbers refer tofeatures originally found in FIG. 1, series 200 numbers refer tofeatures originally found in FIG. 2, series 300 numbers refer tofeatures originally found in FIG. 3, and so on.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is organized as follows. Section A provides an overviewof a tele-immersive environment that uses a mirror metaphor; morespecifically, this Section emphasizes the experience provided to theparticipants of a tele-immersive session. Section B describesillustrative implementations of the environment introduced in Section A.Section C sets forth illustrative variations and extensions of theconcepts and functionality described in Sections A and B. Section D setsforth an illustrative method which explains the operation of thefunctionality of Sections A-C. And Section E describes illustrativecomputing functionality that can be used to implement any aspect of thefeatures described in Sections A-D.

As a preliminary matter, some of the figures describe concepts in thecontext of one or more structural components, variously referred to asfunctionality, modules, features, elements, etc. The various componentsshown in the figures can be implemented in any manner by any physicaland tangible mechanisms, for instance, by software, hardware (e.g.,chip-implemented logic functionality), firmware, etc., and/or anycombination thereof. In one case, the illustrated separation of variouscomponents in the figures into distinct units may reflect the use ofcorresponding distinct physical and tangible components in an actualimplementation. Alternatively, or in addition, any single componentillustrated in the figures may be implemented by plural actual physicalcomponents. Alternatively, or in addition, the depiction of any two ormore separate components in the figures may reflect different functionsperformed by a single actual physical component. FIG. 10, to bedescribed in turn, provides additional details regarding oneillustrative physical implementation of the functions shown in thefigures.

Other figures describe the concepts in flowchart form. In this form,certain operations are described as constituting distinct blocksperformed in a certain order. Such implementations are illustrative andnon-limiting. Certain blocks described herein can be grouped togetherand performed in a single operation, certain blocks can be broken apartinto plural component blocks, and certain blocks can be performed in anorder that differs from that which is illustrated herein (including aparallel manner of performing the blocks). The blocks shown in theflowcharts can be implemented in any manner by any physical and tangiblemechanisms, for instance, by software, hardware (e.g., chip-implementedlogic functionality), firmware, etc., and/or any combination thereof.

As to terminology, the phrase “configured to” encompasses any way thatany kind of physical and tangible functionality can be constructed toperform an identified operation. The functionality can be configured toperform an operation using, for instance, software, hardware (e.g.,chip-implemented logic functionality), firmware, etc., and/or anycombination thereof.

The term “logic” encompasses any physical and tangible functionality forperforming a task. For instance, each operation illustrated in theflowcharts corresponds to a logic component for performing thatoperation. An operation can be performed using, for instance, software,hardware (e.g., chip-implemented logic functionality), firmware, etc.,and/or any combination thereof. When implemented by a computing system,a logic component represents an electrical component that is a physicalpart of the computing system, however implemented.

The phrase “means for” in the claims, if used, is intended to invoke theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph. No other language, otherthan this specific phrase, is intended to invoke the provisions of thatportion of the statute.

The following explanation may identify one or more features as“optional.” This type of statement is not to be interpreted as anexhaustive indication of features that may be considered optional; thatis, other features can be considered as optional, although not expresslyidentified in the text. Finally, the terms “exemplary” or “illustrative”refer to one implementation among potentially many implementations

A. Illustrative Participant Experience

This section provides an overview of a tele-immersive environment thatoperates using a mirror metaphor. More specifically, this sectionintroduces the tele-immersive environment by mainly describing the typeof experience that it provides to each of its participants. Sections B-D(below) provide details regarding various ways that this experience canbe implemented.

Starting with FIG. 1, this figure shows an overview of a tele-immersiveenvironment 100 that provides a tele-immersive experience to threeparticipants, labeled as participant P₁, participant P₂, and participantP₃. However, the environment 100 can provide a tele-immersive sessioninvolving just two participants, or more than three participants. Eachparticipant operates at a different geographical location compared tothe other two participants. That is, participant P₁ operates at locationL₁, participant P₂ operates at location L₂, and participant P₃ operatesat location L₃, etc. When describing the environment 100 from thevantage point of any particular location, the participant at thatlocation is referred to as a local participant, while the otherparticipants are referred to as remote participants. Further, a localset-up refers to functionality provided at a particular site associatedwith the local participant. A remote set-up refers to functionalityprovided at a site associated with a remote participant.

Each location can be separated from any other location by any distance.For example, in one case, two participants may be relatively closetogether, as when the participants occupy different rooms of the samebuilding or different buildings in a campus environment. In anothercase, two participants may be farther apart, as when the participantsare located in different states, provinces, or countries, and so on.FIG. 1 simplifies the depiction of the three participants (P₁, P₂, P₃)by indicating that they all generally occupy a real space 104. A realspace is a space that contains physical entities (e.g., people, physicalobjects, etc.).

The environment 100 uses mirror functionality 106 to present athree-dimensional virtual space 108. The virtual space 108 providesvirtual images 110 of the participants 102 using a mirror metaphor. Themirror metaphor gives each participant the impression that all of theparticipants are present at the same physical location and looking intothe same mirror, when, in fact, the participants are actually atdifferent locations (e.g., locations L₁, L₂, L₃). That is, eachparticipant will see virtual images V₁, V₂, and V₃ in the virtual space108 produced by the mirror functionality 106. The virtual image V₁ isthe virtual counterpart of the real participant P₁. The virtual image V₂is the virtual counterpart of the real participant P₂. And the virtualimage V₃ is the virtual counterpart of the real participant P₃.(However, as will be described below, each participant's view of thevirtual space 108 can also differ in some respects from the views of theother participants; for instance, based on a configuration setting, alocal participant can opt to omit his virtual image from the virtualspace 108.)

FIG. 1 indicates that the environment 100 arranges the virtual images110 to give the impression that the participant P₂ is situated in themiddle of participants P₁ and P₃, e.g., with participant P₁ to the leftof participant P₂, and participant P₃ to the right of participant P₂.But this manner of ordering the virtual images 110 can be changed. Forexample, the environment 100 can assign the order in an arbitrarymanner, or can use any factor or factors to select the order. Forinstance, the environment 100 can assign the order based onorder-related preferences of the participants. Or the environment 100can assign the order based on the temporal order in which eachparticipant joined the session, and so on. Further, the environment 100can dynamically change the order of the participants during thetele-immersive session based on any triggering factor(s).

In the example of FIG. 1, the virtual images (V₁, V₂, and V₃) correspondto reflected images on a metaphorical mirror surface. These virtualimages may therefore be referred to as virtual-reflected objects, andthe virtual space 108 as a whole can be referred to as avirtual-reflected space. Section D presents an example in which thevirtual space 108 also includes virtual images associated with objectsthat are placed before the mirror surface, rather than reflections onthe mirror surface. These virtual images may be referred to asvirtual-actual objects, and the part of the virtual space that providesthese objects can be referred to as virtual-actual space. Eachvirtual-actual object has a virtual-reflection counterpart, and, in somecases, a real physical counterpart. But to simplify the explanation, theensuing explanation will first assume that all virtual images correspondto reflections in the mirror surface, rather than representations ofobjects that are placed before the mirror surface.

FIG. 2 depicts a tele-immersive experience that the environment (ofFIG. 1) provides to a local first participant 202. This tele-immersivesession involves just two participants, although, as noted above, thesession can involve more than two people. The other (remote) participantis referred to herein as the second participant.

More specifically, FIG. 2 depicts the experience of the firstparticipant 202 from the perspective of first participant's localset-up. In that setting, the first participant 202 is standing in a realspace 204 and looking at a virtual space 206 created by the environment100. The virtual space 206 shows a virtual image 208 of the firstparticipant 202 and a virtual image 210 of the second participant.

Although not shown, the second participant can be visualized as standingin a real space provided by his own local set-up. And like the firstparticipant 202, the second participant can be visualized as looking ata virtual space created by the environment 100. That virtual space willinclude the virtual image 208 of the first participant 202, as well asthe virtual image 210 of the second participant. In other words, in oneconfiguration, the first participant 202 may see the same virtual spaceas the second participant.

In another configuration, the virtual space 206 seen by the firstparticipant 202 may differ from the virtual space seen by the secondparticipant in one or more respects. For example, as noted above, thefirst participant can opt to omit his own virtual image 208 from thevirtual space 206; likewise, the second participant can opt to omit hisown virtual image 210 from his virtual space. Note that this ability toomit one's own reflection is an option that may be available to varyingextents depending on the manner in which an environment implements themirror metaphor; for instance, the environment 400 of FIG. 4 (to bedescribed below) accommodates this option more readily than theenvironment 300 of FIG. 3 (to be described below).

From a high-level perspective, the virtual space 206 gives theimpression that the two participants are standing side by side in thesame room. For example, the virtual space 206 creates the illusion thatthe second participant is standing to the immediate left of the firstparticipant 202, from the perspective of the first participant 202, eventhough the second participant is physically present at an entirelydifferent geographic location compared to the first participant 202.Also note that the virtual space 206 presents a flipped (i.e., mirror)version of the real space 204.

Further, the virtual image 208 of the first participant 202 has roughlythe same size as the virtual image 210 of the second participant. Butthe environment 100 can alternatively display a reduced-size or anincreased-size virtual image of any participant (relative to the sizesof the other participants). Alternatively, or in addition, theenvironment 100 can use any graphical effect to highlight anyparticipant in the virtual space 206, such as by presenting a glowingaura around the participant who is speaking at a current time, or bydisplaying a graphical arrow that points to the participant who isspeaking, and so on.

The environment 100 can also provide other features, some of which areenumerated below.

(a) Manipulation of Virtual Objects. FIG. 2 indicates that the realspace 204 of the local set-up includes a workspace in which the firstparticipant 202 may manipulate real objects. For instance, the firstparticipant 202 has placed a real ball 214 on a physical table 212. Theworkspace may also encompass the space in which the first participant202 may actively manipulate one or more objects, e.g., with his hands orany other body part(s). For example, the first participant 202 isholding a rectangular object 216 in his left hand; more specifically,the first participant 202 extends the rectangular object 216 out towardsto the surface of the virtual space 206, as if to show it to the secondparticipant. In one merely representative case, assume that therectangular object 216 corresponds to a smart phone or some otherhandheld electronic device, although the rectangular object 216 cancorrespond to any physical object.

In a similar manner, the remote set-up in which the second participantoperates includes a workspace in which the second participant mayinteract with physical objects. For example, the workspace may include aphysical table that is the counterpart of the physical table 212 in thelocal set-up. As will be described below, the second participant hasplaced another rectangular object on his table.

The environment 100 also creates virtual objects that correspond to thephysical objects. These virtual objects appear in each virtual space asvirtual images. For example, the environment 100 creates a virtual table218 which is a virtual counterpart of the physical table 212. Theenvironment 100 creates a virtual ball 220 which is a virtualcounterpart of the real ball 214. Note that the virtual ball 220 appearsto sit on the virtual table 218 in the virtual space 206. Theenvironment 100 also creates a virtual rectangular object 222 which isthe virtual counterpart of the physical rectangular object 216. Notethat the virtual image 208 of the first participant 202 depicts a personthat is holding the virtual rectangular object 222. And finally, theenvironment 100 creates another virtual rectangular object 224 whichalso sits on the virtual table 218. This virtual rectangular object 224is the virtual counterpart of a physical rectangular object (not shown)which the second participant places on his own physical table (notshown). The environment 100 can provide appropriate processing to ensurethat the virtual space presented to any participant only includes onevirtual table 218, e.g., so that the multiple physical tables in thedifferent set-ups do not produce multiple overlapping virtual tables; toaccommodate this feature, each set-up can include anidentically-constructed and identically-placed physical table.

Each of the virtual objects described above mirrors a physical objectthat appears in the real spaces of the environment 100. For example,each virtual object on the virtual table 218 has a counterpart physicalobject on the physical table 212 of the first participant's set-up orthe physical table of the second participant's set-up. The environment100 can also produce virtual objects that have no physical counterpartsin the real spaces defined by the environment 100. The virtual objectsmay be referred to as pure-virtual objects. For example, the environment100 presents a virtual ball 226 that appears to sit on top of thevirtual rectangular object 222. That virtual ball 226 has no physicalcounterpart in any of the real spaces.

In one implementation, the environment 100 includes a physics simulationengine that assigns physical properties to the virtual ball 226. Thephysics simulation engine can also model the movement of the virtualball 226 as if it were a real physical ball, e.g., by making themovement of the virtual ball 226 subject to Newton's laws, etc. In onescenario, the first participant 202 can then move the physicalrectangular object 216 in an effort to keep the virtual ball 226balanced on top of the virtual rectangular object 222, much in the sameway that the first participant 202 would move the rectangular object 216to keep a physical ball balanced on top of the rectangular object 216.Again, this is merely a representative example; other implementationscan present any type of pure-virtual objects, and can assign anyrealistic and/or fanciful dynamics to these virtual objects.

The participants can also jointly interact with any virtual object. Forexample, FIG. 2 shows that the second participant is pointing to thevirtual rectangular object 222. For instance, the second participant maybe making a comment regarding the virtual rectangular object 222. Tohelp convey his meaning, the second participant may point to the precisepart of the virtual rectangular object 222 that is he is talking aboutat a particular moment in time.

Any participant may also manipulate any virtual object. For example, inone scenario, the second participant may be permitted to reach out andgrasp the virtual ball 226 that is being balanced by the firstparticipant 202 atop the virtual rectangular object 222. The secondparticipant can then exercise control over the virtual ball 226. Thesecond participant can execute this operation by observing his virtualimage 210 that appears in the virtual space. That is, the secondparticipant can use the movement of his virtual image 210 as a guide todetermine how he should move his real hand.

To perform the above-described kinds of manipulation, the environment100 can use tracking functionality that tracks the positions of physicalentities in the real spaces of the environment 100. For example, theenvironment 100 can track the movement of each participant's hands,and/or head, and/or eyes, and/or entire body. The environment 100 canalso track the locations of non-animate objects that appear in the realspaces of the environment 100. These tracking operations producetracking information. The environment 100 can use the trackinginformation to control virtual objects, e.g., by enabling the secondparticipant's virtual hand 228 (having a first location in virtual space206) to accurately grasp the virtual ball 226 (having a second locationin virtual space 206).

In one particular scenario, a participant can also move any virtualobject in a direction that is approximately orthogonal to the surface ofthe mirror functionality 106, e.g., by pulling or pushing the virtualobject in that orthogonal direction. As will be described, theenvironment 100 can perform this operation because it models objects inthe virtual space as three-dimensional entities having depth.

(b) Presentation of Content in the Virtual Space. The environment 100can allow any participant to add a note to the “surface” of the mirrorfunctionality 106. For example, the first participant 202 uses a stylus,finger, or some other tool to write a note 230 on the surface of themirror functionality 106. The environment 100 can present this note 230such that it flows in the correct direction from the vantage point ofeach participant, e.g., in the English language, from left to right. Anyparticipant may then manipulate the note 230 in any manner, such as byediting the note 230, moving the location of the note 230 in the virtualspace, resizing the note 230, erasing the note 230, archiving the note230 in a data store, printing the note 230, and so on.

The environment 100 can also allow any participant to retrieve documentsor other digital content for presentation in the virtual space. Forexample, the first participant 202 has retrieved a document 232 from anarchive, and instructed the environment 100 to post it on the “mirrorsurface” of the mirror functionality 106. Once presented in the virtualspace, any participant may then manipulate the document 232 in anymanner, such as by navigating within the document 232, editing thedocument 232, adding highlights or comments to the document 232, movingthe location of the document 232 within the virtual space, deleting thedocument 232, resizing the document 232, printing the document 232, andso on.

More generally, the environment 100 implements the above-describedfunctionality using the metaphor of a shared workspace wall, where themirror surface constitutes the wall. The participants interact with thewall as if they were standing in front of it, side by side. Theparticipants may add writing to the wall, post documents to the wall, orchange any other features of this surface. The information added to thevirtual wall may be generically referred to as participant-specifiedinformation.

(c) Presentation of Control Features in the Virtual Space. Theenvironment 100 can also display control features in a virtual space.For example, FIG. 2 shows an example in which the environment 100presents a control feature 234 on the “mirror surface” of the mirrorfunctionality 106. Each participant can interact with the controlfeature 234 to perform any application-specific function(s). Forexample, the control feature 234 may correspond to any kind of graphicalcontrol feature, such as one or more menus of any type, one or morebuttons, one or more slide bars, one or more knobs, one or more checkboxes or radio buttons, etc., or any combination thereof. A participantcan manipulate these kinds of graphical features to control any aspectof the interactive experience. For example, a local participant caninteract with a control feature to adjust the volume at which eachremote participant's voice is presented to him or her.

The environment 100 described above has a number of potential benefits.According to one potential benefit, the environment 100 produces ashared virtual space that can accommodate any number of participants. Inother words, the environment 100 scales well to any number ofparticipants without departing from the underlying principle of itsmirror metaphor.

According to another potential benefit, the environment 100 provides aneasy-to-understand and easy-to-use framework for jointly manipulatingvirtual objects, without departing from the underlying principle of itsmirror metaphor.

According to another potential benefit, the environment 100 provides aconvenient and natural mechanism for showing a local participant howthey likely appear to the remote participant(s). For example, in oneconfiguration setting, the virtual space 206 that appears to the firstparticipant 202 may look exactly the same as the virtual space thatappears to the second participant. Hence, the first participant 202 canbe reasonably assured that his appearance (as it appears in the virtualimage 208) is the same or similar to his virtual image as it appears tothe second participant.

According to another potential benefit, the environment 100 provides aneasy-to-understand and easy-to-use technique for posting notes,documents, and other content to the “mirror surface” of the mirrorfunctionality 106, e.g., using the shared wall metaphor described above.

The above potential benefits are cited by way of example, notlimitation. Other implementations may offer additional benefits. Otherimplementations may also lack one or more of the features describedabove.

B. Illustrative Implementations

FIG. 3 shows an environment 300 that represents a first implementationof the features described above. The environment 300 generally providesa set of set-ups for use by plural respective participants. That is, theenvironment 300 provides a first set-up 302 for participant P₁, a secondset-up 304 for participant P₂, a third set-up 306 for participant P₃,and an nth set-up 308 for participant P_(n). Each set-up is located in adifferent geographical location. FIG. 2 shows the illustrativecomposition of the first set-up 302. The other set-ups (304, 306, . . .308) may have an identical composition and manner of operation, althoughnot expressly shown in FIG. 3.

The set-up 302 includes image capture functionality 310 for producing arepresentation of the participant P₁. In one case, the image capturefunctionality 310 includes one or more cameras of any type or types. Forexample, the image capture functionality 310 can include one or morecameras that produce information that can be used to construct a depthimage of the real space of set-up 302, including the participant P₁ andany physical objects in the real space. A depth image defines thedistance between a reference point (e.g., the location of a camera) andeach position in the real space. The set-up 302 can use any technique toproduce a depth image, such as a structured light technique, atime-of-flight technique, a stereoscopic technique, and so on, or anycombination thereof.

For example, the set-up 302 can use the Kinect™ device provided byMicrosoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., to produce a depth image of thereal space. In one implementation, the Kinect™ device uses a structuredlight technique to produce its depth images. In this approach, the imagecapture functionality 310 projects a light having a pattern onto thereal space (that light constituting “structured light”). The structuredlight impinges the objects in the real space. The objects havethree-dimensional surfaces having various shapes which distort thepattern of the structured light. The image capture functionality 310then captures an image of the objects in the real space, as illuminatedby the structured light. Depth determination functionality then comparesthe captured image with a reference image associated with theundistorted pattern. The depth determination functionality uses theresult of this comparison to infer the distances between a referencepoint and each point in the real space.

In addition, or alternatively, the image capture functionality 310 caninclude one or more video cameras that produce video image informationthat represents the real space. That is, the video image information mayprovide a color (e.g., an RGB) representation of the objects in the realspace.

In general, the image capture functionality 310 is said herein togenerate “local camera information.” The local camera information mayinclude any raw information provided by image capture functionality 310,e.g., including information that is used to construct depth imagesand/or video image information, etc.

A local processing system 312 receives the local camera information fromthe local image capture functionality 310. The local processing system312 also receives remote input information from each remote set-up (304,306, . . . 308). The remote input information may include anyinformation regarding objects that are present in the remote set-ups(304, 306, 308). For instance, that information can include remotecamera information and/or three-dimensional (3D) object information. Aswill be explained below, the 3D object information for a set-upcorresponds to a three-dimensional representation of objects in the realspace of the set-up, produced based on the camera information providedby the set-up.

The local processing system 312 also forwards local input information toeach of the remote set-ups (304, 306, . . . 308). The local inputinformation is the counterpart of an instance of remote inputinformation. That is, the local input information may provide anyinformation regarding objects in the local set-up 302, e.g., includingthe raw local camera information and/or local 3D object informationproduced by the local processing system 312. The local 3D objectinformation provides a three-dimensional representation of objects inthe local real space of the set-up 302.

The local processing system 312 generates 3D scene information based onthe local camera information and the remote input information. FIG. 5(to be described below) depicts one way in which the local processingsystem 312 may perform this task. By way of overview, the localprocessing system 312 can first create a three-dimensionalrepresentation of the real space associated with the local set-up 302,based on the local camera information. This yields local 3D objectinformation for the local set-up 302, in the terminology introducedabove. The local processing system 312 can then combine the local 3Dobject information for the local set-up 302 with the counterpartinstances of 3D object information for the remote set-ups (304, 306, . .. 308). More specifically, this combination projects the separateinstances into a common perspective (and coordinate system) thatconforms to the mirror metaphor described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.The local processing system 312 can also integrate supplementalinformation into the 3D scene information that it creates, such as notescreated by any participant, documents posted by any participant, controlfeatures, and so on. The local processing system 312 then sends theresultant 3D scene information to mirror functionality 314.

In the first implementation shown in FIG. 3, the mirror functionality314 includes a physical semi-transparent mirror 316 that is positionedin front of a display device 318 (that is, “front” with respect to thelocation of the participant P₁). The semi-transparent mirror 316presents a reflection of any object that is located in front of thesemi-transparent mirror 316. At the same time, the semi-transparentmirror 316 will allow the participant P₁ to see any objects (real orvirtual) that are placed in back of the semi-transparent mirror 316.

The display device 318 receives the 3D scene information provided by thelocal processing system 312. Based on that information, the displaydevice displays a three-dimensional virtual space that is populated byone or more virtual images. The display device 318 can be implementedusing any display technology, such as an LCD display. In anotherimplementation, the display device 318 may be implemented as a stereodisplay device, or as a three-dimensional projection device which castsstereo information onto any surface (such as a wall). The participant P₁may view the output of such a stereo display uses shutter glasses or thelike; this gives the impression that objects in the virtual space have adepth dimension.

More specifically, the semi-transparent mirror 316 presents a virtualimage 320 of the participant P₁, e.g., as an ordinary reflection on themirror's surface. The display device 318 presents a virtual image 322 ofa participant P₂ and a virtual object 324. The virtual object 324, forexample, may correspond to the virtual ball 226 in FIG. 2. The firstparticipant P₁ will perceive a composite virtual scene 326 upon viewingthe mirror functionality 314, in which the first participant P₁ appearsto be standing next the second participant P₂. The first participant P₁will furthermore perceive himself or herself to be manipulating thevirtual object 324 in his or her hand.

The set-up 302 produces the above-described effect by displaying thevirtual images on the display device 318 at appropriate locationsrelative to reflections on the surface of the semi-transparent mirror316. For example, the set-up 302 can determine the location of thevirtual image 320 of the participant P₁ on the semi-transparent mirror316 in order to place the virtual object 324 in the first participant'shand. This manner of operation presupposes that the set-up 302 knows thelocation of physical entities in real space, and the correspondingpositions of virtual images on the surface of the semi-transparentmirror 316. The set-up 302 can gain this knowledge in different ways. Inone case, the participant P₁ may be requested to confine his or hermovement to a pre-determined region in the real space of the set-up 302.In this case, the set-up 302 can make a rough assumption that thevirtual image 320 will appear at a predetermined location on the surfaceof the semi-transparent mirror 316. In another implementation, theset-up 302 can include tracking functionality that tracks the locationof the participant P₁ in the real space of the set-up 302 with any levelof granularity, e.g., by tracking the hands of the participant P₁ or theentire body of the participant P₁. The set-up 302 can determine thelocation of the virtual image 320 on the surface of the semi-transparentmirror 316 based on the tracking information. Still other techniques canbe used to determine the location of the physical entities in realspace, and their counterpart virtual images on the surface of thesemi-transparent mirror 316.

The set-up 302 can also produce virtual images for presentation on thedisplay device 318 that are scaled in conformance with the sizes ofimages that appear on the surface of the semi-transparent mirror 316. Inone case, a distance of d₁ separates the participant P₁ from thesemi-transparent mirror 316, and a distance of d₂ separates thesemi-transparent mirror 316 from the display device 318. The participantP₁ will perceive his reflected virtual image 320 as occurring at a depthof 2×d₁. The set-up 302 can present the virtual image 322 of the secondparticipant P₂ such that it appears to have the same size as the virtualimage 320 of the first participant P₁, from the vantage point of thereal first participant P₁. In one case, the set-up 302 can achieve thisresult by making d₁ approximately equal to d₂. Without limitation, forinstance, both d₁ and d₂ may be approximately equal to 3 feet.

The configuration of the mirror functionality 314 can be modified invarious ways. For example, in another implementation, the display device318 may be placed flush against the back of the semi-transparent mirror316. The set-up 302 can change the manner in which it scales virtualimages for presentation on the display device 318 to conform to thisalternative arrangement.

Any type of communication mechanism 328 can couple the set-ups (302,304, 306, . . . 308) together, such as a wide area network (e.g., theInternet), a local area network, point-to-point connections, etc., orcombination thereof.

FIG. 4 shows another environment 400 that can implement thetele-immersive experience described above. The environment 400 has thesame components as the environment 300 of FIG. 3, with the exceptionthat the mirror functionality 402 of FIG. 4 differs from the mirrorfunctionality 314 of FIG. 3.

In summary, FIG. 4 shows a local set-up 404 for use by a firstparticipant P₁. The local set-up 404 is coupled to other set-ups (406,408, . . . 410) via a communication mechanism 412. Remote participantsinteract with the respective other set-ups (406, 408, . . . 410). FIG. 4shows the illustrative composition of the local set-up 404; otherset-ups (406, 408, . . . 410) have a similar composition and manner ofoperation, although not expressly shown in FIG. 4.

The set-up 404 includes image capture functionality 414 for producinglocal camera information. As explained above, the local camerainformation may include information that can be used to construct adepth image of the real space of the set-up 404. In addition, oralternatively, the local camera information can include video imageinformation. A local processing system 416 receives the local camerainformation from the local image capture functionality 414, togetherwith an instance of remote input information from each remote set-up(406, 408, . . . 410). Based on this input information, the localprocessing system 416 generates 3D scene information which it presentson the mirror functionality 402.

In this embodiment, the mirror functionality 402 includes a displaydevice 418, without the use of a semi-transparent mirror. The displaydevice 418 displays all aspects of the virtual space that is presentedto the first participant P₁. That is, the display device 418 presents avirtual image 420 that is the virtual counterpart of the firstparticipant P₁, and a virtual image 422 that is the virtual counterpartof the second participant P₂. The display device 418 also presents thevirtual object 424. This collection of virtual images creates aperceived virtual scene 426; in that virtual scene 426, the secondparticipant P₂ appears to be standing next to the first participant P₁,and the first participant P₁ appears to be manipulating the virtualobject 424 in his hand.

In the implementation of FIG. 4, the “surface” of the mirrorfunctionality 402 corresponds to the surface of the display device 418.By contrast, in the implementation of FIG. 3, the “surface” of themirror functionality 314 corresponds to the surface of thesemi-transparent mirror 316.

The local processing system 416 can compose the 3D scene information byassembling, projecting, and scaling the various instances of 3D objectinformation provided by the various set-ups. The local processing system416 can also take tracking information into account when producing the3D scene information. For example, the local processing system 416 mayrely on tracking information to determine the location of aparticipant's hands as that participant manipulates a virtual object.

Although not expressly depicted in either FIG. 3 or 4, each local set-upcan also include a speaker for presenting sounds produced in each remoteset-up, such as the voices of the remote participants. Each local set-upcan also include a microphone for detecting sounds produced in the localset-up, such as the local participant's voice. Each local set-up canforward audio information produced by its microphone to the other remoteset-ups, e.g., as part of the above-described local input informationthat it forwards to the remote set-ups.

FIG. 5 shows one implementation of a local processing system 500 thatcan be used to provide three-dimensional (3D) scene information in FIG.3 or 4. That is, in one interpretation, the local processing system 500corresponds to the local processing system 312 shown in FIG. 3. Inanother interpretation, the local processing system 500 corresponds tothe local processing system 416 shown in FIG. 4. While the localprocessing system 312 may differ from the local processing system 416 insome regards, FIG. 5 focuses mainly on the commonality in functionalitybetween these two implementations.

A local image construction module 502 receives the local camerainformation from the set-up's local camera functionality (310 or 414).The local image construction module 502 then forms 3D object informationbased on the local camera information. As a first step, the local imageconstruction module 502 may transform each instance of camerainformation into a single coordinate space. That is, a set-up mayprovide multiple cameras at different locations around the localparticipant to capture a representation of the participant fromdifferent vantage points. Each camera produces a separate instance ofcamera information. The local image construction module 502 may mergethe different instances of camera information into a single compositerepresentation of the objects in real space, e.g., by applyingappropriate coordinate transformations to each instance of camerainformation.

The local image construction module 502 can then process depthinformation provided by the integrated camera information to produce thelocal 3D object information. Without limitation, in one representativeapproach, the local image construction module 502 may use the depthinformation to create 3D meshes of the objects in the real space of theset-up. Each 3D mesh may be likened to a wireframe model of an object inreal space, e.g., composed of a plurality of triangles defined byvertices in the depth information. The local image construction module502 can then apply the video information to the 3D meshes. That is, inone implementation, the local image construction module 502 treats thevideo information as textures that can be “pasted” on the 3D meshes inthe manner of skin onto bodies.

A tracking module 504 can track the position of various objects in thereal space associated with a set-up. The tracking module 504 can use oneor more techniques to perform this task. In one case, the trackingmodule 504 uses the above-described Kinect™ device to represent eachparticipant's body as a skeleton, that is, as a collection of jointsconnected together by line segments. The tracking module 504 can thentrack the movement of the joints of this skeleton as the participantmoves within the real space. Alternatively, or addition, the trackingmodule 504 can use any head movement technology to track the movement ofthe participant's head. Alternatively, or in addition, the trackingmodule 504 may use any eye gaze recognition technology to track theparticipant's eye gaze.

In the above examples, the tracking module 504 tracks the movements ofobjects in the real space based on the local camera informationdescribed above. Alternatively, or in addition, the tracking module 504can collect supplemental information that reveals the positions ofobjects in the real space. For example, consider the scenario shown inFIG. 2 in which the rectangular object 216 that the first participant202 moves within the real space 204 corresponds to a smartphone or thelike. A smartphones typically includes one or moreposition-determination devices, such as a gyroscope and/or anaccelerometer. These devices provide position information whichindicates the relative location of the smartphone. The tracking module504 can receive position information from these devices and combine itwith the position information provided by a skeletal tracking system.The resultant position information can define the location of theparticipant's hand (which holds the rectangular object 216) with animproved degree of accuracy, compared to using position data provided bythe skeletal tracking system alone.

Alternatively, or in addition, supplemental tags can be affixed toobjects in the real space of a set-up. For example RF tags may beattached to the hands and head of the participant, and to each physicalobject in the real space. The tracking module 504 can receivesupplemental position information that is obtained from these tags.

The above tracking technologies are cited by way of example, notlimitation. Other implementations can use other techniques fordetermining the positions of bodies and other objects in real space.Further note that the local processing system 500 can make use oftracking information to varying extents, e.g., depending on theimplementation of the local processing system 500 and depending on amode in which the local processing system 500 is being used. In somecases, the local processing system 500 may make no use of the trackinginformation, or minimal use of the tracking information.

For example, assume that the local processing system 500 is used in theenvironment 400 of FIG. 4, and the objective is merely to present imagesof the participants in side-by-side relationship to each other invirtual space. Further, assume that each participant is expected to bepresent in a predetermined region in the real space of his or herset-up. The local processing system 500 can produce the desired virtualspace without, for instance, performing precise tracking of eachparticipant's hands.

A transfer module 506 forwards the local input information to the otherremote participants of the tele-immersive session. As explained above,the local input information may correspond to the raw camera informationprovided by the local set-up and/or the processed local 3D objectinformation provided by the local image construction module 502, forinstance. The transfer module 506 can use any technique for transferringthe local input information, such as a multiplexing technique in whichthe transfer module 506 broadcasts the local input information todifferent destinations associated with the remote set-ups.

An image composition module 508 receives the 3D object information fromthe image construction module 502, as well as instances of remote 3Dobject information from the various remote set-ups. Based on thisinformation, the image composition module 508 produces the 3D sceneinformation for output to the display device (318 or 418) of the mirrorfunctionality (314 or 402).

The image composition module 508 may include (or may be conceptualizedto include) plural sub-modules that perform different respectivefunctions. An image transformation module 510 transforms each instanceof 3D object information into a common coordinate space associated withthe metaphorical mirror that is being modeled. The image transformationmodule 510 can also apply appropriate scaling to the various instancesof 3D object information. An optional physics simulation engine 512 canapply simulation effects to any virtual object in the virtual scene,such as the virtual ball 226 described in connection with FIG. 2. Animage assembly module 514 can assemble the various different parts of ascene into integrated 3D scene information.

The physics simulation engine 512 can rely, at least in part, on knownsimulation algorithms to manipulate 3D virtual objects in realistic ornonrealistic ways, including models that take into account rigid bodydynamics, soft body dynamics, etc. Illustrative known physics simulatorsinclude PhysX, provided by Nvidia Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif.;Havok Physics, provided by Havok of Dublin Ireland; Newton GameDynamics, produced by Julio Jerez and Alain Suero, and so on.

A supplemental feature management module 516 (“management module” forbrevity) contributes supplemental information that may be added to the3D scene information. For example, the management module 516 can receivewriting information from the mirror functionality (314, 402) thatindicates that the local participant has written on the surface of themirror functionality (314, 402). The management module 516 may thenforward the writing information to the image composition module 508,where it can be integrated into the 3D scene that is being created. Asnoted in Section A, any participant may also interact with a note thathas been added to the virtual space in any manner. The management module516 can also manage this interaction.

More specifically, in the case of FIG. 4, the display device 418 mayinclude a touch sensitive surface. The display device 418 may producewriting information when a participant interacts with the touchsensitive surface, e.g., using a stylus, finger, or some otherimplement. Alternatively, or in addition, a camera can be placed infront of and/or behind the display device 418 to detect the localparticipant's interaction with the display device 418, and to producewriting information as a result. Similarly, in the case of FIG. 3, thesemi-transparent mirror 316 can include a touch sensitive surface whichproduces writing information when a participant makes contact with thatsurface. Alternatively, or in addition, a camera can be placed in frontof and/or behind the semi-transparent mirror 316 to detect the localparticipant's interaction with the semi-transparent mirror 316, andproduce writing information as a result. Or the set-up 302 of FIG. 3 canprovide a separate transparent member (not shown) in front of thesemi-transparent mirror 316 on which the local participant can write,and the set-up 302 can produce writing information as a result.Alternatively, or in addition, the local participant can use any otherinput mechanism(s) to provide notes, such as, but are not limited to, akeypad, a mouse device, a voice recognition mechanism, and so on.

The management module 516 can also manage the retrieval and manipulationof documents. For example, the management module 516 can receive acommand from the local participant using any input mechanism. Themanagement module 516 can then retrieve a document that is specified bythe command, e.g., by retrieving a spreadsheet document for a file named“tax return 2012” when the local participant speaks the voice command“retrieve tax return 2012,” or when the local participant inputs thiscommand through any other input mechanism. The environment can thenallow any participant of the tele-immersive session to manipulate thedocument in any manner described above in Section A.

The management module 516 can also display any kind of control featurein the virtual space, such as the representative control feature 234shown in FIG. 2. The management module 516 can also detect the localparticipant's interaction with the control feature, and then takeappropriate action(s) based on the participant's interaction.

The management functions described above are cited by way of example,not limitation. The management module 516 can perform yet otherfunctions in other implementations.

The image composition module 508 may also receive graphics informationfrom an optional graphics library 518. For example, the graphics library518 may contain instances of 3D object information associated withvarious stock objects, such as the virtual ball 226 shown in FIG. 2. Inoperation, the image composition module 508 can determine whether the 3Dscene that is being created will include any virtual objects describedby the graphics library 518. If so, the image composition module 508retrieves the appropriate instance of 3D object information from thegraphics library 518 and integrates it into the scene that is beingcreated.

FIG. 5 also indicates that the image composition module 508 receivesvarious configuration instructions the local participant. For example,the local participant may specify whether or not the mirrorfunctionality 402 of FIG. 4 will display a virtual image (e.g., avirtual reflection) of himself on the display device 418. If theparticipant specifies “no,” the resultant virtual space will omit avirtual representation of the local participant. But the otherparticipants will nonetheless still see the virtual image of the localparticipant. The local participant can provide any other configurationinstructions, such as by adjusting the volume of the remoteparticipants' voices, specifying the order in which the participantswill appear in the virtual space, and so on.

C. Illustrative Variations and Extensions

This Section provides details regarding various modifications andextensions of the concepts and functionality set forth in Sections A andB.

FIG. 6 shows a first variation of the concepts set forth in FIGS. 1-5.That is, in the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4, the mirror functionality(314, 402) uses a display device (318, 418) having a planar displaysurface. In contrast, FIG. 6, shows mirror functionality having adisplay device 602 with a curved display surface. For example, thedisplay device 602 may have a semicircle-shaped surface, a parabolicsurface, etc. The local participant 604 may observe the contentpresented on the display device 602 from a vantage point that lies at ornear the center of the curved surface of the display device 602. Morespecifically, the local processing system of the participant's set-upcan continue to compute the 3D scene information as if the users werestanding next to each other in front of a planar mirror. But, in theimplementation of FIG. 6, the local processing system presents this 3Dscene information on the display device 602 having a curved surface. The3D scene information may optionally include or omit a virtual image ofthe local participant.

The arrangement of FIG. 6 gives the local participant 604 the impressionthat the remote participants are arrayed around him, as if he is seatednear the center of a circular table. The local participant 604 may findthis manner of presentation helpful in those scenarios in which thereare a large number of participants; that is, this configuration mayallow the local participant 604 to more effectively observe the remoteparticipants, compared to a linear arrangement. Further, the localparticipant 604 may rotate his or her head (or his or her entire body)to talk to different participants. This rotation may be more pronouncedcompared to the case in which the remote participants arelinearly-arranged in front of the local participant 604. This aspect mayimprove interaction by more effectively revealing the direction ofattention of the local participant 604 to the remote participant(s).

FIG. 7 shows another variation of the concepts sets forth in FIGS. 1-5.That is, in the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4, the mirror functionality(314, 402) uses a relatively large display device (318, 418). Forexample, the display device (318, 418) may be large enough to display alife-sized virtual image of each participant of the tele-immersivesession. But the display device of the mirror functionality can have anysize, and the virtual images of the participants can be scaled in anymanner. For example, FIG. 7 shows mirror functionality that uses aportable (e.g., handheld) display device 702 to display virtual imagesof the participants of the tele-immersive session. The display device702 shows a scaled-down version of each participant using the samemirror metaphor described above. The display device 702 may correspond,for example, to any of a smartphone, an electronic book reader device, aportable game device, a tablet computing device, a personal digitalassistant device, a laptop computing device, a netbook-type computingdevice, and so on.

The display device 702 can provide a tele-immersive experience in anyenvironment, including dynamic environments in which one or more of theparticipants are moving. FIG. 7, for instance, shows the illustrativeuse of the display device 702 in the interior of a vehicle 704. A localparticipant 706 may correspond to the driver of the vehicle 704. Thedriver may mount the display device 702 on the dashboard of the vehicle704, e.g., above a control panel 708. The display device 702 may receivepower from the vehicle 704 via a conventional power cord 710 and/or itsown internal battery source. The interior of the vehicle 704 may alsoinclude image capture functionality, e.g., by providing one or morecameras located at various locations within the interior. The displaydevice 702 may provide one such camera 712. A rear view mirror mayprovide another camera 714. The image capture functionality provides arepresentation of the local participant 706 in the manner describedabove, e.g., by providing information that can be used to produce adepth image of the interior of the vehicle, together with video imageinformation.

In one case, any remote participant of the tele-immersive session can belocated in another vehicle, or in his or her home or office, or in anyother locale. In another case, at least some of the “remote”participants may be located in the vehicle 704 itself, e.g., in the backseat of the vehicle 704. The local participant 706 may find it useful toconverse with the backseat participants via the display device 702,rather than swivel his head to talk to the participants in the backseat. Where the laws of the local jurisdiction permit, the localparticipant 706 can use the above-described technique to engage in atele-immersive session while driving; if the rules do not permit thiskind of behavior, the local participant 706 can conduct the sessionwhile the vehicle is not moving. In other scenarios, the localparticipant 706 can detach the display device 702 from its mount andcontinue the tele-immersive session while walking, or in any otherlocale.

As a clarifying closing remark, FIGS. 3-5 provide an example in whichall of the processing provided by the local processing system (312, 416,500) is performed at the local set-up. Alternatively, at least someparts of this processing can be delegated to remote processingfunctionality, such as remote cloud computing functionality. Thisimplementation may be particularly useful in the mobile scenariodescribed above, e.g., in those cases in which the display device 702may have limited processing capabilities.

FIG. 8 shows another variation of the concepts sets forth in FIG. 1-5.More specifically, in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2, the environment 100creates a virtual space 108 that includes reflected virtual images 110.That is, the virtual images 110 in the virtual space 108 correspond toreflections, produced by the mirror functionality 106, of the realentities in the real space 104. In another implementation, the virtualspace 108 can be extended to present virtual representations of both thereal entities in the real space 104 and the reflections produced by themirror functionality 106. The virtual representations of the realentities are referred to herein as virtual-actual entities, e.g.,virtual-actual participants, virtual-actual objects, etc. The virtualrepresentations of the reflections are referred to as virtual-reflectedentities, e.g., virtual-reflected participants, virtual-reflectedobjects, etc. Each entity shown in the virtual space 206 of FIG. 2constitutes a virtual-reflected participant or a virtual-reflectedobject, or a purely-virtual object. A purely-virtual object has no realcounterpart in any of the real spaces of the environment 100, as is thecase of the virtual ball 226.

In FIG. 8, a first participant 802 and a second participant engage in atele-immersive session using a modified version of the environment 100.That is, the first participant 802 operates at a first location using alocal set-up 804. That setting provides a real space 806 associated withthe first participant 802. At the current time, the first participant802 is holding a rectangular object 808 in his left hand, presenting itfor inspection by the second participant. The second participantoperates at a second location which is remote relative to the firstlocation. The second participant uses a remote set-up (not shown). Atthe current time, the second participant is pointing to the rectangularobject 808 being held by the first participant 802.

FIG. 8 depicts the tele-immersive experience from the perspective of thefirst participant 802. That is, the environment 100 offers avirtual-reflected space 810 that is similar to the virtual space 206 ofFIG. 2. The virtual-reflected space 810 includes a virtual-reflectedimage 812 of the first participant 802, a virtual-reflected image 814 ofthe second participant, a virtual-reflected rectangular object 816 thatcorresponds to the rectangular object 808, and a virtual-reflected ball818 that corresponds to a real ball (not shown) that the firstparticipant 802 places on a workspace table.

In addition, the environment 100 can create a virtual-actual space 820that represents entities that stand before the metaphorical mirror(where, in contrast, the virtual-reflected space 810 corresponds toreflections that appear in the metaphorical mirror). The virtual-actualspace 820 includes an optional virtual-actual image 822 of the firstparticipant 802, a virtual-actual image 824 of the second participant, avirtual-actual rectangular object 826 corresponding to the realrectangular object 808, and a virtual-actual ball 828 corresponding tothe real ball (not shown) that the first participant 802 places on theworkspace table. In another configuration, the environment 100 can omitthe virtual-actual image 822 associated with the first participant 802.Further, note that the various virtual-actual images correspond tocomplete versions of the real entities in the real spaces. But theenvironment 100 can also display virtual-actual images that representpartial representations of the real entities, such as by showing onlythose portions of the real entities that lie within a prescribeddistance from the metaphorical mirror, such as by showing only the armsand hands of the first and second participants in this example.

Considered as a whole, the environment 100 offers a virtual space 830that is made up of the virtual-actual space 820 and thevirtual-reflected space 810. This virtual space 830 may offer anenhanced feeling of immersion to the local first participant 802compared to the examples of Section A. For example, as in the examplesof Section A, the first participant 802 can observe the actions of thesecond participant by watching the movement of the second participant'svirtual-reflected image 814. In addition, or alternatively, theimplementation of FIG. 8 allows the first participant 802 to observe theactions of the second participant by watching the movement of thevirtual-actual image 824. That is, the first participant 802 can turnhis head to the left slightly to observe how the second participant isbehaving in front of the mirror, and/or by looking at the metaphoricalmirror itself.

The workspace table in FIG. 8 can assemble all of the objects that areplaced on the real workspace tables in all of the real set-ups. That is,the virtual-reflected space 810 includes a representation of theseobjects as they appear on the surface of the metaphorical mirror. Thevirtual-actual space 820 includes a direct representation of theseobjects, as they are placed on the physical workspace tables.

Further note that any participant can interact with a virtual object inany space. For example, as in the examples of Section A, a participantcan continue to interact with a virtual-reflected object that appears inthe virtual-reflected space 810. In addition, or alternatively, usingthe implementation of FIG. 8, a participant can interact with avirtual-actual object that appears in the virtual-actual space 820. If aparticipant makes a change to one of these virtual spaces, theenvironment 100 can produce a corresponding change in the counterpartvirtual space; for example, if the user moves a virtual-reflected ballin the virtual-reflected space 810, the environment 100 can make acorresponding movement of the corresponding virtual-actual ball in thevirtual-actual space 820.

The added features of FIG. 8 can be implemented in various ways. In afirst approach, the environment 100 can continue to provide thevirtual-reflected space 810 in the manner described above, e.g., usingthe implementation shown in FIG. 3 or the implementation shown in FIG.4. That is, the environment 100 can: (1) capture camera information; (2)transform the camera information into a collection of 3D objects; and(3) assemble the 3D objects into 3D scene information. This firstinstance of 3D scene information projects the 3D objects from theperspective of reflections in the metaphorical mirror.

The local set-up 804 (associated with the local first participant 802)can use mirror functionality 832 to present the first instance of 3Dscene information. For example, the mirror functionality 832 can beimplemented using the mirror functionality (314, 402) described in FIG.3 or 4, or some other implementation. The surface of the mirrorfunctionality 832 continues to define the surface of the metaphoricalmirror.

In addition, the local set-up 804 can create a second instance of 3Dscene information by casting the same 3D objects from anotherperspective—namely, the perspective of virtual entities within thevirtual-actual space 820. In other words, this operation does notinvolve creating new 3D objects, but rather projecting the existing 3Dobjects from a new perspective to create another instance of 3D sceneinformation.

The local set-up 804 can then project the second instance of the 3Dscene information using one or more supplemental display devices. Forexample, a second display device 834 to the left of the firstparticipant 802 can present a virtual representation of anyparticipant(s) to the left of the first participant 802, e.g., bydisplaying the virtual-actual image 824. A third display device 836 tothe right of the first participant 802 can present a virtualrepresentation of any participant(s) to the right of the firstparticipant 802 (where, in this case, there are no participants in thisdirection). The display devices (834, 836) may correspond to LCD displaydevices, stereo display devices, etc.

In another case, a stereo projector display device can be positionedabove the first participant 802. That device can project a 3D scene inthe area around the first participant 802, including the regions to hisleft and right. The first participant 802 can view the resultant 3Dscene using shutter glasses or some other mechanism. Still other ways ofpresenting the virtual space 830 are possible.

The environment 100 can implement the manipulation of virtual objects inthe manner described above. That is, the environment 100 can use anytracking technology(ies) to determine the positions of the objects inthe real spaces of the environment 100. The environment 100 can use thisknowledge to accurately determine when any participant is attempting tomanipulate a virtual object in any manner.

In a second implementation, the environment 100 can use a single displaydevice to present all aspects of the virtual space 830. In other words,this single display device presents the complete scene associated withthe virtual space 830, including all entities associated with thevirtual-reflected space 810 and all entities associated with thevirtual-actual space 820. The single display device may correspond to anLCD display, a stereo display, a stereo projector, etc. The environment100 can present this 3D scene from any perspective. For example, in thedepiction of FIG. 8, the display device presents the 3D scene from asimulated camera position that lies in back of the virtual-actualparticipants. Further, the environment 100 may allow each localparticipant to dynamically select the vantage point from which the 3Dscene is presented during a tele-immersion session, as well as the typesof objects that are included in the 3D scene.

In this single-display implementation, each local participant acts as an“outside” observer of an immersive session in which he or she is one ofthe participants. The single display device may depict the surface ofthe metaphorical mirror. But the surface of the display device itselfmay no longer correspond to the surface of that metaphorical mirror.This is in contrast to the first-mentioned implementation, in which eachparticipant observes the session from “within” the session, and in whichthe surface of the mirror functionality 832 defines the surface of themetaphorical mirror.

In a third implementation, the environment 100 can use the arrangementshown in FIG. 4 to present the images in the virtual-reflected space810, e.g., using a single display device. In addition, that same displaydevice can present at least parts of the images in the virtual-actualspace 820. For example, consider the perspective of the actual firstparticipant 802. He may see all the images in the virtual-reflectedspace 810. In addition, he may see at least the virtual-actual forearm(of the virtual-actual image 824) of the second participant (which ispointing at the virtual-reflected rectangular object 816), and thevirtual-actual ball 828. In one optional configuration, he might alsosee his own virtual-actual forearm (which is part of the virtual-actualimage 822), as well as the virtual-actual rectangular object 826. Inother words, the display device captures the reflections as well as atleast parts of the scene which appears in front of the mirror surface.The display device can be implemented in any manner described above,such as an LCD display, a stereo display, a stereo projector, etc. Astereo display mechanism can be particularly effective in thisembodiment, as it can help the observer distinguish between objectswhich appear in front of the mirror surface and virtual-reflectedobjects.

Still other implementations of the concepts set forth with respect toFIG. 8 are possible.

D. Illustrative Processes

FIG. 9 shows a procedure 900 that explains one manner of operation ofany of the environments described above from the “perspective” of thelocal processing system 500 of FIG. 5. Since the principles underlyingthe operation of the local processing system 500 have already beendescribed in Section A, certain operations will be addressed in summaryfashion in this section.

In block 902, the local processing system 500 receives local camerainformation from the local image capture functionality (310, 414). Thisinformation represents the appearance of a local participant of atele-immersive session, and any other objects in the real space of thelocal set-up.

In block 904, the local processing system 500 generates 3D objectinformation based on the local camera information. This operation mayentail using depth information to produce a 3D mesh of each object inthe real space of the local set-up, and then applying the videoinformation as a texture onto the 3D mesh.

In block 906, the local processing system 500 transfers local inputinformation to each of the remote processing systems provided by therespective remote set-ups. The local input information may include anyinformation regarding objects identified by the local processing system500, such as the raw local camera information (received in block 902)and/or the processed 3D object information (provided in block 904).

In block 908, the local processing system 500 receives remote inputinformation from each remote processing system of each respective remoteset-up. Similar to the local input information, the remote inputinformation may correspond to any information regarding objectsidentified by remote processing systems, such as raw remote camerainformation and/or processed remote 3D object information.

In block 910, the local processing system 500 composes 3D sceneinformation based on the local 3D object information and the remoteinput information. This composition operation may include projecting theseparate 3D objects into a common coordinate space, and performingappropriate scaling on the various parts of the 3D scene. Thecomposition operation may also include integrating supplementationinformation into the 3D scene, such as writing information, retrieveddocuments, control features, etc.

In block 912, the local processing system 500 provides the 3D sceneinformation to the local mirror functionality, e.g., using either themirror functionality 314 of FIG. 3 (which uses a physicalsemi-transparent mirror 316) or the mirror functionality 402 of FIG. 4(which does not use a physical semi-transparent mirror). The mirrorfunctionality (314, 402) creates a three-dimensional virtual space thatshows at least some of the participants as if the participants werephysically present at a same location and looking into a mirror.

In another implementation, block 910 can also entail generating anotherinstance of 3D scene information that represents virtual-actual objectsin the virtual-actual space 820 of FIG. 8. Block 912 can entailpresenting this second instance of 3D scene information in any mannerdescribed in Section D.

E. Representative Computing functionality

FIG. 10 sets forth illustrative computing functionality 1000 that can beused to implement any aspect of the functions described above. Forexample, the computing functionality 1000 can be used to implement anyaspect of each local processing system 500 providing by each localset-up. In one case, the computing functionality 1000 may correspond toany type of computing device that includes one or more processingdevices. In all cases, the computing functionality 1000 represents oneor more physical and tangible processing mechanisms.

The computing functionality 1000 can include volatile and non-volatilememory, such as RAM 1002 and ROM 1004, as well as one or more processingdevices 1006 (e.g., one or more CPUs, and/or one or more GPUs, etc.).The computing functionality 1000 also optionally includes various mediadevices 1008, such as a hard disk module, an optical disk module, and soforth. The computing functionality 1000 can perform various operationsidentified above when the processing device(s) 1006 executesinstructions that are maintained by memory (e.g., RAM 1002, ROM 1004, orelsewhere).

More generally, instructions and other information can be stored on anycomputer readable medium 1010, including, but not limited to, staticmemory storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storagedevices, and so on. The term computer readable medium also encompassesplural storage devices. In many cases, the computer readable medium 1010represents some form of physical and tangible entity. The term computerreadable medium also encompasses propagated signals, e.g., transmittedor received via physical conduit and/or air or other wireless medium,etc. However, the specific terms “computer readable storage medium” and“computer readable medium device” expressly exclude propagated signalsper se, while including all other forms of computer readable media.

The computing functionality 1000 also includes an input/output module1012 for receiving various inputs (via input devices 1014), and forproviding various outputs (via output devices). Illustrative inputdevices include a keyboard device, a mouse input device, a touchscreeninput device, a gesture input device, a voice recognition mechanism, animage capture mechanism, a tracking mechanism, and so on. One particularoutput mechanism may include a presentation device 1016; that device, inturn, may correspond to a component of the above-described mirrorfunctionality (314, 402). The computing functionality 1000 can alsoinclude one or more network interfaces 1020 for exchanging data withother devices (e.g., provided in other set-ups) via one or morecommunication conduits 1022. One or more communication buses 1024communicatively couple the above-described components together.

The communication conduit(s) 1022 can be implemented in any manner,e.g., by a local area network, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet),etc., or any combination thereof. The communication conduit(s) 1022 caninclude any combination of hardwired links, wireless links, routers,gateway functionality, name servers, etc., governed by any protocol orcombination of protocols.

Alternatively, or in addition, any of the functions described in thepreceding sections can be performed, at least in part, by one or morehardware logic components. For example, without limitation, thecomputing functionality can be implemented using one or more of:Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs); Application-specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs); Application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs);System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs); Complex Programmable Logic Devices(CPLDs), etc.

In closing, the description may have set forth various concepts in thecontext of illustrative challenges or problems. This manner ofexplanation does not constitute an admission that others haveappreciated and/or articulated the challenges or problems in the mannerspecified herein. Further, the claimed subject matter is not limited toimplementations that solve any or all of the noted challenges/problems.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tele-immersive environment for providinginteraction among a plurality of participants of a tele-immersivesession, the tele-immersive environment comprising: a plurality ofset-up systems, each set-up system of the plurality of set-up systemsoperating in a different geographical location and providing aninteractive experience of the tele-immersive session to a participantthat is local to the respective set-up system, and each set-up systemcomprising: image capture functionality configured to capture localcamera information that represents the local participant associated withthe set-up system; a local processing system configured to: receive thelocal camera information; generate local three-dimensional objectinformation based on the local camera information; transfer local inputinformation to at least one remote processing system associated with atleast one remote participant that is local to a remote set-up system,the local input information corresponding to information associated withobjects identified by the local processing system; receive remote inputinformation from said at least one remote processing system, the remoteinput information corresponding to information associated with objectsidentified by said at least one remote processing system; and composethree-dimensional scene information based on the local three-dimensionalobject information and the remote input information; and mirrorfunctionality configured to present a three-dimensional virtual spacebased on the three-dimensional scene information, the three-dimensionalvirtual space showing multiple remote participants of the plurality ofparticipants without the local participant as if the multiple remoteparticipants were physically present at a same location and looking intoa mirror.
 2. The tele-immersive environment of claim 1, wherein theimage capture functionality is configured to provide information for usein constructing a depth image of the local participant.
 3. Thetele-immersive environment of claim 1, wherein the mirror functionalitycomprises: a physical semi-transparent mirror for presenting a virtualimage of the local participant at the set-up system; and a displaydevice configured to receive the three-dimensional scene information,and to present a virtual image of at least one remote participant. 4.The tele-immersive environment of claim 1, wherein the mirrorfunctionality comprises a display device configured to receive thethree-dimensional scene information, and to present a virtual image ofthe local participant and at least one remote participant.
 5. A localset-up system in a tele-immersive environment, the tele-immersiveenvironment for providing interaction among participants of atele-immersive session, the local set-up system comprising: imagecapture functionality configured to capture local camera informationthat represents a local participant associated with the local set-upsystem; a local processing system configured to: composethree-dimensional scene information based on the local camerainformation and remote input information, the remote input informationbeing received from at least one remote processing system associatedwith at least one remote participant that is local to a remote set-upsystem operating in a different geographical location from the localset-up system, the remote input information corresponding to informationassociated with objects identified by said at least one remoteprocessing system; and transfer at least some of local input informationto said at least one remote processing system, the local inputinformation corresponding to information associated with objectsidentified by the local processing system; and mirror functionalityconfigured to present a three-dimensional virtual space based on thethree-dimensional scene information, the three-dimensional virtual spaceshowing at least some of the participants as if the participants werephysically present at a same location and looking into a mirror.
 6. Thelocal set-up system of claim 5, wherein the image capture functionalityis configured to provide information for use in constructing a depthimage of the local participant.
 7. The local set-up system of claim 5,wherein the mirror functionality comprises: a physical semi-transparentmirror for presenting a virtual image of the local participant at thelocal set-up system; and a display device configured to receive thethree-dimensional scene information, and to present a virtual image ofat least one remote participant.
 8. The local set-up system of claim 5,wherein the mirror functionality comprises a display device configuredto receive the three-dimensional scene information, and to present avirtual image of the local participant and at least one remoteparticipant.
 9. The local set-up system of claim 5, wherein the localprocessing system includes functionality that enables the localparticipant to interact with a virtual object presented by the mirrorfunctionality.
 10. The local set-up system of claim 9, wherein the localset-up system includes a physical workspace in which the localparticipant may place a physical object, and wherein the virtual objectis a virtual counterpart of the physical object.
 11. The local set-upsystem of claim 10, wherein the physical workspace includes a workspacetable on which the physical object is placed.
 12. The local set-upsystem of claim 9, wherein the virtual object has no counterpartphysical object in a real space associated with any set-up system. 13.The local set-up system of claim 9, wherein interaction with the virtualobject includes pulling or pushing the virtual object in a directionthat is approximately orthogonal to the mirror functionality.
 14. Thelocal set-up system of claim 5, further comprising a management moduleconfigured to receive information specified by the local participantduring the tele-immersive session, to provide participant-specifiedinformation, wherein the local processing system is configured topresent the participant-specified information using the mirrorfunctionality.
 15. The local set-up system of claim 5, furthercomprising a management module configured to provide a control featureand to manage interaction with the control feature, wherein the localprocessing system is configured to present the control feature using themirror functionality.
 16. The local set-up system of claim 5, whereinthe mirror functionality includes a display device having a curveddisplay surface for displaying the participants of the tele-immersivesession.
 17. The local set-up system of claim 5, wherein the mirrorfunctionality uses a handheld display device for presenting virtualimages of two or more participants of the tele-immersive session. 18.The local set-up system of claim 5, wherein the three-dimensional sceneinformation composed by the local processing system represents: avirtual-reflected space that includes one or more virtual-reflectedobjects that are projected from a perspective of reflections in a mirrorsurface; and a virtual-actual space that includes one or morevirtual-actual objects that are projected from a perspective of entitiesthat are placed before the mirror surface.
 19. The local set-up systemof claim 18, wherein the local processing system includes functionalitythat enables the local participant to interact with anyvirtual-reflected object and any virtual-actual object.
 20. A methodimplemented by a local set-up system comprising one or more computerdevices, the method comprising: receiving local camera information fromlocal image capture functionality provided at the local set-up system;generating local three-dimensional object information based on the localcamera information; transferring local input information to at least oneremote set-up system operating in a different geographical location thanthe local set-up system, the remote set-up system being associated withat least one remote participant of a tele-immersive session, the localinput information corresponding to information associated with objectsidentified by the local set-up system; receiving remote inputinformation from said at least one remote set-up system, the remoteinput information corresponding to information associated with objectsidentified by said at least one remote set-up system; composingthree-dimensional scene information based on the local three-dimensionalobject information and the remote input information; and providing thethree-dimensional scene information to mirror functionality, the mirrorfunctionality being configured to present a three-dimensional virtualspace based on the three-dimensional scene information, the virtualspace showing at least some of the participants as if the participantswere physically present at a same location and looking into a mirror.21. The tele-immersive environment of claim 1, wherein the localprocessing system is configured to collect supplemental positioninformation of an object identified by the local processing system, thesupplemental position information generated by at least one of aposition-determination device of the object and a tag affixed to theobject in a real space.
 22. The tele-immersive environment of claim 1,wherein the mirror functionality is configured to allow any participantof the tele-immersive session to interact with writing information.